Week XLI

This week's flowers were very well received in the office, being a stark contrast to the more homogenous arrangements in terms of colour that we had these last four weeks. Of particular interest may be the orange of the euphorbia that can quickly captivate your eye.
  Today I would like to share a haiku by Matsuo Bashou. It is the following:

年暮ぬ

笠きて草鞋

はきながら

  The translation that can be found on Wikipedia is:

another year is gone

a traveler's shade on my head

straw sandals at my feet

  Poetry, in general, can be a good excuse for meditation. Particularly poetry that comes in small doses, like haiku. This poem makes me think of ending cycles. What are we to interpret from the second and third lines? Is the traveler ending a year of journeys, and at the same time looking forward to the many more jorneys that are to come? Is the traveler disappointed that he has not reached his destination yet? Perhaps this poem is a reminder that even though a year may end, the journey of life continues.